Split buildings of type \(\mathsf {F_4}\) in buildings of type \(\mathsf {E_6}\)

Abstract

A symplectic polarity of a building \(\varDelta \) of type \(\mathsf {E_6}\) is a polarity whose fixed point structure is a building of type \(\mathsf {F_4}\) containing residues isomorphic to symplectic polar spaces (i.e., so-called split buildings of type \(\mathsf {F_4}\)). In this paper, we show in a geometric way that every building of type \(\mathsf {E_6}\) contains, up to conjugacy, a unique class of symplectic polarities. We also show that the natural point-line geometry of each split building of type \(\mathsf {F_4}\) fully embedded in the natural point-line geometry of \(\varDelta \) arises from a symplectic polarity.